Portrait Gallery

Like Us on Facebook

Latest

Township Unveils New Website

On Thursday, October 14, 2010, Daugherty Township pulled the plug on it's old homepage and released a newer, fresher, up to date version. After months of work designing the new site it has finally been published and it is now on-line. The new site has been designed to offer the residents of Daugherty Township, as well as the general public the ability to access information and conduct business with the Township on-line. The site has been streamlined and has much more to offer.

The new site was designed by Mr. Brooks Canavesi, co-founder of Frontline Initiative, Inc., and CEO of On Deck Systems, LLC., Beaver County's only 100% GREEN Hosting and Web design provider! Canavesi has been involved in business development for over 10 years and has brought his entrepreneurial spirit and technical expertise to the frontlines of life to help benefit those in need through his non-profit work. He currently works full-time as Chief Executive Officer of On Deck Systems while overseeing the technology side of another company he has partial ownership in, Team-Dynamix, Inc. (www.team-dynamix.com). On Deck Systems primary focus is web and software development. Brooks is well versed in business development, finance, web design, information technology, and project management, making him a valuable asset to his various teams. Frontline Initiative and its operating division Hero Program were awarded the 2009 Business of the Year Award by the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce. During the same year Brooks Canavesi was nominated for a Jefferson Award for his passionate work in the community. Canavesi has been lauded by colleagues and countless clients for his ability to bring people together and his passionate approach to all his work. A high-honor graduate of Penn State University, Canavesi holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences and Technology. For more information regarding On Deck Systems contact Brooks Canavesi by email at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.

Oak wilt, a fungal disease that can be fatal to oaks and is also found in chestnut trees, has been cropping up in the Pittsburgh area. Pockets of trees in the North Hills, South Park and Frick Park have been diagnosed, according to Sandy Feather, an agent with Penn State Cooperative Extension and a PG columnist.

The wilt is caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum, which kills the tree by clogging the vascular system, until it is unable to transport nutrients. It is spread by oak bark beetles and sap beetles. Within groups of trees, infection is also spread through the co-mingled root systems of infected trees and susceptible ones. If an infected tree is closer than 50 feet to another tree, preventive measures may be called for.

Red oaks are the most susceptible to the disease, and early symptoms include leaves drooping, curling and/or turning a dull green, then bronze. Browning is frequently evident at the leaf tips or margins and sometimes along the veins. Leaves at the end of branches begin to fall soon after symptoms become noticeable, often while still green, says Ms. Feather. Leaf discoloration and defoliation continue throughout the crown of the tree for several weeks until the tree is dead. Symptoms in white oaks are similar but advance much more slowly.

The first step in containing the disease is having it accurately diagnosed by a certified arborist. Chemical treatments for the disease are unavailable to the home gardener and can only be administered by an arborist. Trees must be treated yearly. This treatment can sometimes stop the progress of the disease if caught early enough (before 30 percent of the crown is affected) and can prevent healthy plants from becoming infected.

"The single most important way to prevent oak wilt is to not prune oaks when they are actively growing. The only safe time to prune oaks is from November through early March," says Ms. Feather.

Scott C. Simpson, district manager for Davey Tree and Lawn Care in Gibsonia, says his company has dealt with outbreaks of the disease for several years now.

"Much of what I see has been caused by tree work poorly done and at the wrong time of year," says Mr. Simpson. "As pockets of disease are identified in the Pittsburgh area, the potential of disease spread will naturally increase."

He says that pruners, saws and other tools should be sanitized after working on a tree that could be infected. "Climbing spikes should never be used in any tree of any species or time of year unless it is a removal," he adds.

Mr. Simpson says the disease is here to stay because many tree owners don't understand the threat a diseased tree poses to the area tree population. Trenches dug between trees can separate roots and slow the spread of disease. He strongly recommends against mass plantings of oaks because all could be lost to the disease.

Some material in this story came from Sandy Feather's columns. Susan Banks:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 412-263-1516.

People who suspect they have seen Emerald Ash Borer should call the state’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-866-253-7189. For more information about Emerald Ash Borer, visit http://www.emeraldashborer.info or call 717-772-5229.

Road Safety Improvement Award

2010 Road & Bridge Improvement Awards

Each year the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association (PHIA) and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) team with various state organizations to recognize the best road safety or bridge improvement projects undertaken across the state.

Eligible projects are those in which most or all of the safety improvements were completed in 2009. The competition recognizes not only major, high-cost projects, but any improvements that have increased public safety.

Beaver County Township Wins Road Safety Improvement Award

Daugherty Township in Beaver County received the runner-up award in the 28th Annual Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest, presented at the 88th Annual Educational Conference of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors in Hershey April 18-21. The conference attracted attendees from every county in Pennsylvania except Philadelphia, which has no townships. Daugherty Township was recognized for a bridge replacement project on Frishkorn Road.

The township association sponsors the statewide Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Contest each year in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association and the state Department of Transportation to recognize townships for their extensive contributions of time and effort in making roads and bridges safer.

Daugherty Township undertook the Frishkorn Road bridge replacement project after discovering that neither the county nor the state owned the structure. Two hurricanes in 2005 had caused significant erosion around the bridge abutments, and the underside of the concrete deck was cracked and broken, exposing the reinforcing steel to corrosion.

Although Frishkorn Road leads to a residential area with only about a dozen homes, the road has no outlet, so a bridge failure would prevent access to the homes. The structurally deficient bridge also posed a safety hazard for emergency services equipment, snow plows, and other heavy trucks.

In keeping with the township comprehensive plan, which does not project any future land development or sanitary sewer expansion in the area, township officials concluded that a one-lane bridge would continue to provide adequate service for the area. Still, a precast concrete bridge with a 24-foot span would cost more than $250,000, including construction and all the associated paperwork.

To trim the cost, the township opted for a metal bridge, which would be assembled by the public works department. The township was able to replace the bridge at a cost of about $145,000, not including labor. The county helped with a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant and additional funding to pave the roadway over the bridge.

“The biggest obstacle was the cost,” Daugherty Township manager David Lodovico Jr., says. “By doing the work ourselves, it took a little longer to complete the project, but the cost savings were tremendous.”

The residents of Frishkorn Road are thrilled to have a new bridge, Lodovico says, and even people who live nearby have commented on the successful project.

“I think we proved a lot of people wrong,” he says. “We have even received compliments on the bridge from neighboring New Brighton Borough and its police department.”

Lodovico says that while he is grateful for the award’s acknowledgement of the time and effort that was put into the project, his real hope is that it will encourage other small communities to take on similar projects that they think they can’t afford or do on their own.

“We won one for the ‘little guy,’” he says. “We see this award as a badge of honor for small townships.”

The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors represents Pennsylvania’s 1,455 townships of the second class and for the past 89 years has been committed to preserving and strengthening township government and securing greater visibility and involvement for townships in the state and federal political arenas. Townships of the second class represent more residents — 5.4 million Pennsylvanians — than any other type of political subdivision in the commonwealth.

PHOTO CAPTION: William Pasquale Jr., a supervisor for Daugherty Township in Beaver County (fourth from right), accepts the runner-up Road and Bridge Safety Improvement Award at the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors’ 88th Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show, held April 18-21 in Hershey. Sponsored by PSATS, the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association, and the state Department of Transportation, the award recognizes townships for their extensive contributions of time and effort in making roads and bridges safer. Daugherty Township received the award for a bridge replacement project. Participating in the presentation are (left to right): Tim Horner, PSATS secretary-treasurer; David Lodovico Jr., Daugherty Township manager; Craig A. Baker, P.E., of Daniel C. Baker Associates, Inc.; Ivan Fabyanick Jr., Daugherty Township supervisor; F. Thomas Zeglin, P.E., of Daniel C. Baker Associates, Inc.; Pasquale; Craig Reed, director of PennDOT’s Bureau of Municipal Services; Jason Wagner, managing director of PHIA; and Kenny Grimes, PSATS president.